Strawberry Fields and Summer Days
by CriminallyCastle
Summary: Aaron Hotchner takes his son to visit his mother's Iowan home. He takes him strawberry picking, causing a string of events to happen, leading Aaron to take home a woman to his mother for some pie. Aaron's brother, Sean, finally has something to tease his older brother with. ( Prompt fic for ankCM..)
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hey, guys. So, this story is for one of my good friends, Audrey, (ankCM). She suggested the prompt, 'summer, strawberries, Iowa, Audrey Hepburn, and a baby.' Thank you, love-bug, and I hope you enjoy this, I know I did!**_

_**Thank you to my BETA, Kelsey! You are amazing and I love you dearly.**_

_**Now, I present to you, **_

_**Chapter 1.**_

"Lorelai, come back!"

Aaron glanced off into the distance of the strawberry patch, the summer's sun beating down hard on his neck. A thin layer of perspiration had appeared on his neck as he kneeled down to pick another strawberry, watching a young child run down the line of bushes, an older woman chasing after her. He froze once he made out who that woman was. That voice calling the child's name, the way her hair fell against her shoulders as she ran, the gait of her run. It was all so familiar to the man.

"Daddy, can I ea' 'dit?" Half distracted, he turned around to see his son holding a berry to his mouth. He could barely understand his mumbles, but he could definitely use his imagination to know that Jack was asking his permission to eat the berry.

Nodding, he turned back to glance at the woman, now three rows down from him and his son. But what was she doing here in Iowa? He shook his head, trying to clear it. Maybe it was just the heat getting to him. He shrugged and fixed his four year old's hat on his head. "Jack, do you think we have enough berries yet?" He glanced in the basket he carried and nodded, taking the small child's hand and leading him over to the woman.

He wasn't the type of man to typically go over and say hi to his co-workers outside of work, but this was an exception. For some reason, they both had decided to come to Iowa. He felt he was obligated to at least say hi. Closing the distance between them, he worked his jaw, watching as the brunette woman stood up, wiping the child's juice-covered face with a napkin. She smiled down at her and brushed her fingers through her hair, "There you go, sweetie, all clean. Come on, we should go pay for these berries." Aaron's eyes watched as she finally turned around, noticing for the first time how closely the girl at her side resembled his friend.

He breathed out a soft breath and looked into her surprised face. "Prentiss."

A warm, yet sheepish smile spread across her lips as she looked him over, nodding down at Jack. "Hotch..." She kneeled down and saluted Jack, "Ahoy, Captain Jack."

Jack giggled and leaned into his father's leg, clutching a small part of the jeans he was wearing. "Daddy, Emmy said I' a capey-ton!" He smiled proudly and then waved to the girl hiding behind his Emmy.

"I heard, buddy." Hotch smiled and looked up at Emily, watching as she stood up to her full height. He looked over the small girl, still hiding behind Emily. "She looks just like you…"

A light scarlet hue tinted Emily's cheeks as she smiled, "Well, I'd hope so." She picked the young girl up and placed her lips to her hair, laughing softly as she hid her face in Emily's chest, but peaking her face out occasionally. "Hotch, Jack, this is my daughter, Lorelai." Emily shrugged and glanced down at Lorelai briefly, before meeting her unit chief's eyes again.

Hotch felt a quick stab of pain rip through his chest. "You never said you had a daughter…" He eyed her with dark eyes, almost hurt. How could someone just not mention they had a kid?

She shook her head and sighed, "No one ever asked. I never felt it was the right time to bring it up either." She bit her lip and shrugged, "Lorelai lives with me in my apartment."

"Oh." He nodded and looked at her hand. No ring. He inhaled sharply, "And the father?" He clenched his jaw tightly. No, he was being too obvious. If Emily wanted him to know, she would've told him, right? Or perhaps not. However, he did understand why she had hid the fact that she had a daughter. Look at all the trouble it got Jack in with Foyet, or even just the fact that she was a very private person. Even at work she tended to keep to herself, and he couldn't blame her. He did himself.

"Uh," He could tell that his question had caught her off guard, but she recovered quickly. "He used to live in London… He just moved to Iowa a few weeks ago. I'm just helping him finish settling in, and he wanted to see Lorelai." He nodded, watching her nibble her bottom lip, and then caress it gently with the tip of her tongue.

"Ah, so you're not married?"

"God no!" She laughed, shaking her head. "No, I, uh… She's two, going on three soon. I had her before I came back to the states. So, what brings you two to the land of cornstalks?"

Hotch smiled slightly at seeing her wide smile, and chuckled softly. "Actually, Jack wanted to see my mother. She wanted to make a pie, so we decided to go strawberry picking for her, right, bud?" He looked down as Jack bounced up and down, spilling the berries from the basket and onto the ground. "Oh, Jack!" He shook his head as he chastised the boy, pausing when he heard soft laughter from above him. He glanced up at the brunette and glared mildly, "You are not helping here, Prentiss." He hissed quietly, not intending for it to seem rude, but as a joke.

She immediately stopped laughing and nodded curtly, slightly stunned by his tone, it was always Prentiss. Never just Emily, her first name. "Sorry." She flushed slightly, beginning to glance around the fields, "I, uh… we should go. I'll see you at work, Hotch." She nodded stiffly and managed to slip passed him before he even processed what she had said.

He sucked in a heavy breath and shook his head. This was why he never joked. It always blew up in his face. He watched her retreat down the hill, and shook his head, mentally cursing himself. He looked at Jack and nodded, "Come on, Jack. Let's go follow Emily." As if on cue, the boy took off running back down the hill, trying to catch up to the brunette. Aaron began running behind him, only half way down, he tripped over a rock, and hit the ground face first, tumbling down the hill.

Emily stopped walking as she heard her name being called by Jack. Turning around, she watched as Jack ran down to her, pointing back up at the hill. She followed his finger and gasped, seeing Aaron trip and fall, rolling down the hill. He passed them, tumbling passed Emily, nearly hitting her. "Hotch!" She closed her eyes, unable to watch as he came to a complete stop at the bottom of the hill, almost slamming into the side of the cashier stand. Picking up Lorelai, and making sure Jack was behind her, she ran the rest of the way down the hill, and knelt down beside him, Lorelai and Jack looming over him. "Hotch, are you alright?"

By now a fairly large crowd had gathered around to see what had happened and if he was alright. Emily held his head in her lap and sighed softly as she began to search him for any injuries or traumas. She brushed his hair away from his forehead and smiled, seeing that the only apparent injury seemed to be a very small gash on his forehead.

"Emily?"

She released a breath of relief and smiled widely, "Trying to scare the crap outta me, Hotch? I almost thought I'd have to take you back to your mother's, or worse, the hospital." She laughed softly and shifted around him, taking his hands and helping him up. "What the hell, Hotch?" She looked him over once more and shook her head.

"Emily, I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to sound so rude. It was supposed to be a-"

She smiled as he tried to apologize, using her first name for the very first time since… Since he met her all those years ago at her mother's gala. "Hotch, relax. It's fine. Besides, I think you've already paid enough." She paused and shrugged, brushing his hair away again, "You're bleeding…" She grabbed her purse and dug through it until she found a small package of tissues. She dabbed one on his forehead and sighed, looking into his eyes.

"Well, Doctor Prentiss, Will I survive?" He smiled down at her, letting her tend to his wound.

She sucked in a breath, her eyes searching his, catching a hint of something new… _There was something…_ She tilted her head, _almost playful about that look._ She cleared her throat and applied a new tissue to his forehead, blushing slightly. _Oh, God. Is he flirting? _She shrugged and licked her bottom lip. "I think the odds are in your favor." She winked and nodded once more. _Oh motherballs. Am I flirting? _She shook her head, watching as Jack and Lorelai seemed to be playing with each other a few feet away.

He followed her gaze and shrugged, shifting in her arms as she continued to press the gauze to his head. "Who would have thought, my son, your daughter?" He saw something flash in her eyes, and he nearly collapsed. _Warmth. _As she opened her mouth, about to speak, he reached down and brushed a strand of her ebony hair, and placed it behind her ear, causing her to shut her mouth in shock and confusion.

Clearing her throat in order to break the awkward silence, she shrugged, her eyes never leaving his dark ones, "Erm, thanks…"

She inhaled softly and dropped her hand as a small voice broke the silence again, "Mama, I' hungryyy!"

Emily nodded, looking down at her daughter, "Okay, honey. We'll stop for something on the way back." She turned back to Aaron with a soft sigh, her heart fluttering, "I really should get her fed, I'm sorry." Before she could leave, he took ahold of her wrist and pulled her back to him.

"Prentiss, why don't you come over for some lunch? I hardly think it's fair of me to be the reason your daughter doesn't get food." He looked into her eyes, giving her hand a slight squeeze as she looked from Jack to Lorelai, and then back up at the man in front of her. Knowing she was trying to refuse, he shrugged, "I also think Lorelai and Jack would like a little bit more time together." _Ha, she couldn't refuse now._

Cursing internally, she nodded and worked her jaw. "Alright… But only if it's alright with your mother and Jack. I wouldn't want us to intrude on your time with your mo-"

He fixed her with a look from his dark eyes, "Relax. It's fine. I'm sure she'd love to meet one of my co-workers." _Did I really just say that?_ He groaned internally and mentally kicked himself. God, he sounded so stupid.

Still hesitant, she nodded and picked Lorelai up. "Alright then, Lore, would you like to play with Jack for a bit longer?" The carbon copy of herself cheered and kicked her feet in excitement.

"Then it's settled. I'll have you follow me back to the house." He nodded, getting in line to pay for the berries.

As they returned to their cars minutes later, Hotch turned to Emily and gave a small smile, growing wider only when she smiled her glorious smile back. A dimple began to indent his cheek, causing her to grin. _God, who would have thought that the man had dimples!_

She watched him return to his car, and then finished buckling Lorelai into her car seat in the back. Sighing softly, the brunette pulled out of the parking lot and began the journey to Hotch's mother's house. Realization finally hit her as they turned down the street. What would his mother think? They weren't a couple at all, only friends and co-workers. People didn't usually meet their boss' parents. Anxiety began to settle in, and she inhaled deeply, taking in breath after breath and letting them out. Well, this would be interesting. Hotch's car pulled into a dirt path and continued on. Emily shrugged and followed. _Well, this is the countryside of Iowa_. What was she really expecting?

Slowly, Hotch's car came to a stop. She pulled up next to him and looked to the left, releasing a soft breath at the white ranch house they just pulled up to. Immediately, she felt the need to speak with a southern accent. Opening her door for her, Aaron took her hand and helped her out. He smiled slowly and looked down at her. "So, this is home." He helped Lorelai out of her car seat, and held her to his chest as Jack walked by Emily's side, hand in hand.

Emily followed him to the door and stiffened, taking in a deep breath, "Hotch-"

He took a step closer and shook his head, "We're out of work for the weekend, I think it's alright if we dropped the 'Hotch' and 'Prentiss' thing for now."

"Okay, then, sir." She smirked briefly, wiping it away as he turned to raise an eyebrow at her.

"You know, I've come to realize, that you only address me as sir because you know I hate it," he groused, to which Emily merely laughed again. He lowered his gaze to her and smirked slightly, "You think I don't know you're sassing me when you call me that - indirect insubordination is still insubordination, Emily."

She shook her head and shrugged, sighing softly, "Alright, _sir._" She grinned wickedly as he internally groaned, fixing her with a glare.

"Emily."

"Sir."

The door swung open as he opened his mouth to continue. "My Gosh, You'd think the two of ya'll were a married couple." Emily glanced away from Aaron to see an older woman wearing an apron in front of them. She looked from Emily to Lorelai, still in Aaron's arms. "Aaron, you're back with the strawberries and company. You shoulda told me, I woulda gotten more plates out for lunch." She smiled warmly and nodded to Emily, motioning her inside. "Well, don't jus' stand there, my dear. Come inside and out of this heat." Emily followed behind Aaron and Jack. Jack went running to his Grammy, showing the berries to the woman.

"Ah, Mother, this is Pre-Emily. Emily Prentiss." He nodded and nudged the brunette closer. "Emily, this is my mother, Angela." He set Lorelai down on the ground, "And this is her daughter, Lorelai."

Angela smiled warmly and took Emily's hand and gave it a small shake. "It's very nice to meet you, dear." She bent down to Lorelai's height and nodded, "Hello, Lorelai. It's nice to meet you as well. You're a beautiful girl."

Emily smiled proudly as her daughter looked up at Angela and beamed, dimples and all, "'ank tew,"

All three grownups laughed, turning around as a loud clatter sounded behind them. All of the strawberries that were previously in the basket on the counter, were now sprawled across the floor, a red faced and sad looking Jack sitting behind them. "I sowwy, daddy!" He began to sniffle quietly. Knowing that he was about to burst into tears, Emily was at his side in seconds and lifted him into her arms.

She cooed to him softly and shook her head, "Jack, buddy, it's alright. It wasn't your fault. They can be washed." She glanced at Aaron, catching both his and his mother's eyes on her as she soothed his child. Blushing slightly, she bit her bottom lip and carried Jack over to his father as she cleaned up the rest of the strawberries.

As she reached for the last handful of blood red berries, large hands brushed against hers and she paused, looking up into the eyes of her unit chief. He smiled and held out the bowl for her, letting her put the rest into it to be washed. "You're good at this. Parenting, I mean."

Blushing even further, she stood up and dusted herself off, "There's a shock." She shrugged and took the bowl over to the sink, tracking his movements from the corner of her eye. "My mother was never good with kids… I guess I just always wanted one, and…" She shrugged, sighing softly, unaware that the elder woman watched them from the table, just ten feet away. She smiled, Lorelai on her lap, Jack sitting next to her.

When Angela returned to the kitchen, she took off the apron and glanced from Aaron to Emily and smiled knowingly. There was something different about these two. The way they interacted was different. They gave off a similar energy as the one Aaron and Haley had given off, only this was much different. It was stronger, and it felt… comforting. Something she hadn't felt or seen in a long time. _Love._

"Oh, Aaron. Your brother, sister-in-law and niece are coming over soon as well. I forgot to tell you that earlier." She looked down at Jack as he grinned.

"Yay! Unc'e Sawn!"

Unaware of what was going on, Lorelai cheered as well, copying Jack. "Unc'e Sawn!"

Biting her lip, Emily shook her head, "Oh, no, baby. You don't have an Uncle Sean…" She sighed softly, defeated as Lorelai began to pout, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. "Oh, honey." She made her way over to the young child.

But Lorelai was already in tears by the time she reached her. She pushed her mother away, reaching for Aaron instead. Dejected, and somewhat hurt, Emily looked down and sighed. Lorelai had always been a very easy baby. However, there had been times when Emily thought she was the fussiest child ever.

Aaron looked from Lorelai as she finally began to calm down, and then to Emily. The doorbell rang at that moment, and Angela left the brunette couple to answer the door. Tucking Lorelai close, he placed a hand on Emily's back. "Emily…" She looked up at him, masking the sadness in her eyes. "Em, don't feel bad about this. It's normal, Hell-o," He paused, quickly correcting himself in front of the children. "I went through it with Jack." He shrugged and sat down at the seat that his mother had previously occupied just moments ago. "It'll be fine. You're an amazing mother, and every child goes through this phase." He shrugged, a small smile appearing, "After all, they don't call them the terrible twos for nothing."

She smiled softly and nodded, looking up at him with dark eyes, "You're right. I'm sorry, I just… That's the first time she's pushed me away. I guess I shouldn't be too down. She's been such an easy baby these past two years." Hotch nodded and smiled slowly. "Hotch, thank you. For everything." She whispered softly, more voices gravitating through the hallway and into the kitchen. "Sounds like your brother is here."

He nodded, just as Sean walked into the room, a young blonde at his side, wearing an Audrey Hepburn T-shirt. Following in behind the two, was a younger brunette haired girl and Angela. "Ah, Aaron. So good to see you, and…" He glanced at Emily, pausing on the two year old in Aaron's lap, "Aaron, you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend?" He smiled and led his wife over to the table. "And you two have a kid too? Jeez, how fast are you two?"

Emily blushed and looked down at her nails as Aaron spoke up, "Same old hilarious, Sean. Nothing's changed, huh? No, this is Emily Prentiss. She's my-"

"-Oh, so you're the hot new agent Aaron's talked about." He smiled widely and held out his hand, offering to shake.

Hesitating briefly, Emily shook it and shrugged. "Oh, so you're the obnoxious brother Aaron has rarely talked about." Laughing, Aaron spit out a glass of water across the table.

Sean laughed as well and nodded, completely amused at Emily's smirk. "Welcome to the family, then." He grinned wider and shook his head, "Nah, I'm just messing with you. Aaron never said you were hot, that's just me throwing that in there."

"So I've gathered." Emily shrugged and looked up at the woman standing next to Sean and smiled, offering her hand.

Sean followed her gaze and stepped forward, "Oh, of course. This is my beautiful wife, Carrie, and this is our thirteen year old daughter, Audrey."

The younger brunette stepped forward and smiled, "Hi, pleased to meet you." She spoke with a French accent, both surprising and exciting Emily.

"Oh, Enchanté! Ça va?" Confused, she looked from Aaron and then to Sean and Carrie as they all began laughing. "What?"

Aaron shook his head and sighed, "Em, she doesn't actually speak French. Audrey is in a theater group. To practice each accent, she speaks a different one each month. I'm guessing this month is French."

Feeling completely like an idiot, Emily nodded and tilted her head, "Oh. Well, that's an interesting idea, I guess. So, Audrey, how do you like theater?"

Audrey smiled and nodded, following Emily into the kitchen as she went to refill her glass of water. "I love it. It's the best thing I've ever done. Plus, there's this guy in my group named Sam, and he's kinda hot." She blushed, as she went on and on about her classes. "I don't know, I just love it. I feel I can actually be me, yet so many different people all at once."

Emily grinned and nodded, understanding exactly what she was saying. "I know that feeling. Trust me, I was an outcast at many different high schools. I joined drama, and immediately I felt like I fit in." She shrugged, "I'm glad you're enjoying it. I say you stick with it, Audrey. Perhaps you'll even get closer with Sam."

As the two brunettes talked in the kitchen, Sean watched Aaron carefully, studying him as he watched Emily leave the table. "Oh, come on, bro. You so like her."

Aaron turned to Sean, gritting his teeth, "I do not. Sean, she's my subordinate. Any fraternization between the two of us can get us both fired."

"Oh, Aaron. Look at you. You're 38. It's time for you to fall in love again, and who better to do it with than your fine brunette agent."

"She is not fine," He growled, clearing his throat, "I mean mine, she is fine." He sighed, defeated, "God dammit, Sean. She's just Emily."

Laughing, he shook his head and grinned wickedly, "Bro, you have it bad for her."

As if perfect timing, Emily reappeared in the room. She raised an eyebrow at the smirk across Sean's face, and the glare Aaron returned his brother. He was almost seething. "Did I miss anything…?" She looked at Angela and Carrie, watching as they both shook their heads in the negative.

"Alright then…" She kicked Aaron underneath the table, giving him a pointed look. Immediately, the glare was wiped from his face, and the smirk left Sean's as she heard a shoe, who she guessed belonged to Aaron, collide against Sean's shin as well. She smiled slightly and nodded, sipping from her glass of water as Jack and Lorelai ate in the other room with Audrey at a smaller table.

To break the peaceful silence, Sean glanced over at Emily and cleared his throat, getting ready to interview her. "So, Emily, you have a daughter, but no ring. Un-married, I assume?"

Choking on his ear of corn, Aaron kicked Sean's shin again, causing the man to grunt. If Emily noticed it, she didn't seem to say or do anything, "Actually, no." She watched as Sean and Angela's faces both fell. She smirked, "I might as well be married to my job. Ask your son." She grinned at Aaron and he laughed softly, nodding. "He sometimes has to remind me to take my lunch break, as I have to remind him the other times."

Sean nodded, laughing as his brother blushed, or what it appeared to be a blush. Angela watched Emily briefly and smiled before glancing across the table at Aaron. "So, how's working at the BAU? Does Aaron treat ya'll well?"

Emily glanced at Aaron and smiled, "He does, yeah. The BAU's pretty great, actually." She shrugged and finished eating, "The food was great, thank you." Glancing into the next room to check on Lorelai, she sighed, noticing that she wasn't eating much, despite how she was whining earlier for food. "If you'll excuse me." She nodded, getting up and walking into the room. She knelt down by the kiddy table and sighed, "Lorelai, honey, will you eat something for mama?"

"No." Closing her eyes, Emily frowned as she felt something spill all over her shirt. She opened her eyes seconds later and saw that the young Prentiss had spilt the remains of her plate onto Emily.

"Oh, Lorelai!" She groaned softly, trying to clean up the food on her shirt, only to find it left a dark stain over her breast. She shook her head and looked up to see Lorelai giggling in her seat. "Lorelai, that's not funny." She mumbled quietly.

Great, now how could she possibly go back into the kitchen? Luckily, Aaron heard Emily's groan and came into the room to help.

He looked down at her, trying to hold in his laughter when she looked up at him. "Hotch, I swear to God, if you choose now as the appropriate time to laugh, I will-"

Knowing she was serious, he cut her off and took her hand in his, helping her up to her full height. "Come on, I have something you can change into." He led her to one of the bedrooms and dug through his bag, pulling out a fresh dress shirt for her. He turned around to find her staring at the pictures on the nightstand. "Oh, yeah…"

She smiled and cocked her head to the side, "These of you and Sean?" She held up a frame of two boys, a dog laying in between them with an older man in the background.

"I… Yeah." He walked over and sat down next to her on the bed. "That's me," He pointed to the tallest boy, no older than 10, "and that's Sean," He pointed to the other brother and swallowed.

"And that's-"

"Yeah. That's my father." He sucked in a deep breath and looked away, memories beginning to return. Unpleasant memories.

As if sensing this, Emily placed the picture back down and moved closer to him, "Aaron…"

He shook his head and closed his eyes, praying that this wouldn't happen now. His father had been horrible, abusive to him, his mother, and to Sean. He didn't want to think about that now. He couldn't. "I'm fine."

Emily shook her head and knelt onto the ground in front of him. She took her hands in his and sucked in a breath. "Aaron, look at me." She waited for him to finally meet her eyes before speaking again, "You're never alone. Your father… He's gone, Aaron. He may have done things that you didn't deserve, but you are not him. You are the person you are today because of him. You are strong, courageous, an amazing father…" She shook her head and let that sink in.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through all of that, but you turned out to be a pretty damn decent man, one of the only few well-mannered, sweet, protective, and dedicated men left in the state of DC, hell, probably in the world." She shook her head and sighed, "Don't beat yourself up about it. We all have scars from our past."

She took in a small breath and brushed away the first and only tear from his eyes. He nodded slowly and looked down at her, cupping her cheek. "Emily."

A knock on the door caused Emily and Aaron to split apart. "Aaron? Where'd you go? Mum wants to bake the pie soon." She released a sigh and stood up, grabbing the shirt from the bed. She quickly put it on over her stained shirt, and slipped the other shirt out, a trick she had learned years ago.

"Uh, thanks for the shirt." She smiled sheepishly and nodded, "Do you want me to make something up, or are you good?"

"I'm good." He nodded and followed her to the door, whispering a small "thanks" as he opened the door for her. "Oh, and Prentiss?"

"Sir?"

"Nothing leaves this room."

"Always." She smiled and walked out of the bedroom and back into the kitchen. Sean eyed her with curious eyes, and smirked when he saw Aaron follow her out of the room.

"And what were you two doing?"

"Relax, Sean. Lorelai spilt her food on Emily's shirt and I told her she could borrow one of mine." He nodded and watched as Emily walked back over to Lorelai, Jack and Audrey.

Sean rolled his eyes and shook his head as he watched the way his older brother seemed to be eyeing and watching the brunette. He smiled and glanced at his wife, putting an arm around her and pecking her on the cheek. She smiled and looked up at him, "Your brother seems really happy. It's hard to believe that this is the same man."

Sean smirked and kissed the top of her forehead as he watched his brother help Emily with cleaning Lorelai and Jack up and getting ready to help bake.

Despite everything and her nerves, Emily was really enjoying herself. It felt… comfortable. Even Sean's comments didn't bother her at all. In fact, they made her smile. It was what she had always longed for. A family.

_**A/N: Wow, already this has been far longer than what I had originally planned… However, I think It'll either be a two-shot, or perhaps even a multi-chapter. We shall see. **_

_**Thank you for reading the first chapter, and please review! It always makes me happy to know your thoughts.**_

_**-Em.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Hey, guys. So, this story is for one of my good friends, Audrey, (ankCM). She suggested the prompt, 'summer, strawberries, Iowa, Audrey Hepburn, and a baby.' Thank you, love-bug, and I hope you enjoy this, I know I did!**_

_**Thank you to my BETA, Kelsey! You are amazing and I love you dearly.**_

_**Now, I present to you, **_

_**Chapter 2**_

As the three women began to wash and cut the strawberries into bite size cubes, the men sat in the living room, waiting for the pie to be ready. They had already done their job of rolling out the pie crust, and now the two brothers sat in the other room, the television on as Sean watched a football game, while Aaron only half paid attention. His mind was in the kitchen with Emily, wondering just as to what the three ladies were talking about in there. There was an awful amount of laughter, and each time he heard a certain brunette's, he wanted to go in there more and more. However, the women insisted they stay out of the kitchen while they bonded. Oh, they were bonding alright.

While in the midst of baking, Emily realized just how tired Lorelai was, and remembered that it was her usual afternoon naptime. Aaron had offered to lay both Jack and Lorelai down in one of the guest bedrooms, and now both toddlers were sound asleep as the others sipped coffee.

"Emily," Angela started, turning towards the brunette in a simple shrug, "I couldn't help but notice you and Aaron earlier…"

The question caught Emily off guard, she stuttered and blushed, "I... huh?" She glanced from Angela to Carrie as the blonde pretended not to be listening. Carrie let out a small laugh and raised an eyebrow as Emily caught herself, "…What about Aaron and I?"

Angela cleared her throat and turned to meet Emily's eyes. "I can see it in the way he looks at you when you speak, even when you aren't speaking." She shrugged and walked over to the brunette, taking her hands in hers.

"Angela…" Carrie shot her a warning glance, afraid that she'd scare Emily off.

Angela continued, ignoring the blonde woman beside her. "I've always wanted him to meet the right woman. Haley just never was." She gave Emily's hands a slight squeeze and nodded, realization dawning on her. She released her hands and nodded, "Sorry, I just want my son to be happy." She trailed off and turned back, leaving Emily to process all of this.

Emily nodded slowly, her heart beating rapidly, yet fluttering. Her head began pounding and she bit her lip so she wouldn't focus on the pain. "No, it's… okay." She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall briefly. It felt like her breath was being constricted in her throat. She couldn't breathe, couldn't speak anymore; she could only gasp. After taking a brief moment, she backed out of the kitchen and choked out a breath, "I… I need a moment. I'll be back." She exhaled softly and stumbled out of the kitchen, turning on her heel and colliding with none other than her unit chief.

"Oh, Sor-" He glanced down into her eyes as he steadied her by placing his hands on her shoulders, "-Emily?" He eyed her carefully, recognizing the paleness of her complexion and her wide doe eyes. He grew worried when he noticed how flushed she actually was. "Are you okay?"

Backing away from him, she nodded, gasping for breath as he had caught her by surprise. She quickly nodded and sucked in a breath, "Sure, I'm fine." She made a beeline for the bathroom and closed the door behind her, inhaling and exhaling. Her anxiety was getting worse with each passing second.

Aaron's mother thought he liked her? Could that even be possible? She shook her head and leaned forward, gripping the sides of the vanity as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. How could this be? Her boss liked her?

She just didn't see it.

She couldn't.

Closing her eyes and counting back from one-hundred, her breathing began to return to normal. As she reached 66, a soft knock on the door jolted her from her breathing exercise. She opened her eyes and spun around as the voice called out from behind the door.

"Emily?"

"I'm fine, Hotch."

She didn't mean for it to sound so harsh, she was just panicking and stressed. How could any of this possibly be real? Aaron Hotchner, the young agent who had worked for her mother all those years ago liked her. Hearing him sigh softly and then the sound of his footsteps getting further away, she bit her lip. _To hell with it._ "Aaron, wait. I'm sorry." She opened the door to see him a few feet away, frozen in place.

"Emily, what's going on?"

She closed the gap between them, inhaling deeply when she stopped in front of him, meeting his dark eyes. Her stomach churned and she ran a hand through her hair. "I don't-I…" She frowned, not knowing the correct words. Once she cleared her throat, she began again, "Aaron, I'm sorry, I just… I have to go." She looked away from his eyes and shook her head, "I'm sorry. I'm just not feeling well, and I have to meet Clyde."

Aaron stared down at her, processing all that she said. He paused, his eyes growing wider, "Clyde."

"He's Lorelai's father." She sighed softly, "It's already late and I promised him dinner tonight and then I'd finish helping him with the house." _Lies._ She grit her teeth hard, the pain traveling up through her temples and to her skull.

"Oh." She hated seeing him so… so hurt, sad. But as fast as the sadness in his eyes appeared, it disappeared. A slight cold and stony expression settled on his face as he worked his jaw. "Right. Well, shall I go get Lorelai for you then?"

She looked away from him, unable to meet his eyes at the moment and nodded slowly, watching as he clenched his fists and walked away.

Once she had bid his family farewell and thanked them for their Southern hospitality, she took one last look at Hotch and left, driving back out to the city.

Aaron slumped down on the couch, upset that she had just left. Noticing the change in attitude, Carrie sucked in a breath and shook her head as she eyed Angela. "Ange, I told you not to say that. Now she's gone, probably afraid."

Angela shook her head and sighed, "How could she be afraid? All I said was that he liked her."

"Yes, Angela, and to some people that's a scary thought. I was afraid to love at first." She shrugged, "Emily's the daughter of the Ambassador, I can only imagine what life was like for her as a child. Probably neglected by her own mother and father, always moving around? She told Audrey that the only place she actually felt comfortable was in drama." She shook her head and scrubbed a hand down her face. "Poor thing."

"What do I do now? The two of them are perfect for each other, you can't even deny it, though. I mean, look at him. He was so happy earlier, and now…"

"You have to tell him what you did. Mama Ange, I'm sorry, but you have to tell Aaron. He probably thinks he did something to scare her off. I know Aaron, and he'd just let her go because that's what he does."

Angela nodded and sighed, inhaling deeply as she placed the towel she had been using, down on the counter. She walked into the living room and eyed her son. "Aaron?"

No reply.

"It's not your fault she ran off the way she did."

Still, he did not reply. Instead, he stared down at his shoes and sighed, Sean muting the volume of the game.

"Now, you're probably going to hate me for this, but… Aaron, I may have said something to Emily."

This peaked Aaron's interest. He raised an eyebrow and slowly forced himself to glance up as he grunted softly, "And?"

"And… I may have told her that you had feelings for her-"

"YOU WHAT?!" Aaron stood up so fast, the blood rose to his head as the vein in his neck pulsed with fury. "I DO NOT HAVE FEELINGS FOR PRENTISS."

Angela backed up instinctively, cowering inside herself as she had done all those years ago when her husband had screamed at her. She pleaded softly, "Aaron, please lower your voice."

Swallowing his anger and realizing what he had just done, guilt instantly settled in. He gasped for breath and ran a hand down his face, sighing. "I'm sorry." He shook his head and backed away slowly, "I'm sorry… I-" He was exactly like his father. Everything Emily had said earlier ran through his head, but it meant nothing now. He had just yelled at his own mother, just as his father had done before beating her.

Without saying anything else, he turned and walked outside, collapsing into the porch swing. No wonder she seemed scared. Hell, he'd be scared as well if he were in her place. He rested his head in his hands and swallowed, trying to sort out his thoughts.

He remembered her from long ago, the time he first had laid eyes on her. She was so young then, so beautiful. She had just finished her second semester of college when her mother had hired him as security detail. He remembered it clearly, as if it were the other day.

"_Agent Hotchner, this is my… daughter, Emily."_ _He stared at the young brunette as she smiled slightly, adding a small wave as well. "Now, I need you to watch out for her. And don't let her give you any of her sass. She's got tons of it." Elizabeth Prentiss' eyes narrowed on her daughter as her daughter frowned. Clearly their relationship was strained. _

_The following week had been preparation for one of Elizabeth's functions. The whole house was decorated with color and fancy lights, new flowers of all different scents and colors were placed in each room. "Emilia! What are you doing?!" He heard the anger and irritation in Elizabeth's voice and frowned. What had the high-strung brunette gotten into now? Sighing, he walked into the kitchen to find her stirring a large bowl of what looked to be cookie dough._

"_Miss Prentiss?" His eyes connected with those wide doe eyes and he sucked in a breath in order to stay focused. _

_She cleared her throat, ignoring her mother's continuous shouting. "Oh, you're not going to yell at me too, are you? The Ambassador says that I shouldn't bake, that, that's what the maids are for." She had rolled her eyes in a way that had gotten Aaron to chuckle softly. _

"_Oh?" He took a step closer to her and shrugged, "Can I ask you something?"_

_She hummed softly and nodded, her eyes returning to the cookie dough._

"_Alright, well, why do you always address Ambassador Prentiss as 'The Ambassador'? She's your mother, you know. Don't you ever call her that?"_

_Emily laughed, a laugh that warmed Aaron to his core. Watching her grin, she nodded. "Ah. I was wondering if anyone would ever notice. You're studying to become a profiler?" _

_He nodded and shrugged, "What can I say. I observe."_

_She nodded and turned to him, "Then you'd know that she doesn't even view me as her daughter. That I'm looked down upon." She crossed her arms and sighed softly, not quite knowing why she was telling him all of this. "My mother is a very important and busy woman… She doesn't have time for me. Hell, I was an accident. My father left us when I was seven, but of course, you probably already figured that out, huh?" _

_He nodded and listened intently as she continued, "Did you know that she never once hugged me, never held me in her arms and told me how she was proud of me, or even told me she loved me?" She shook her head and sighed, "She only wants me to marry a rich man and follow in her line of politics." _

_His heart ached for this young woman. He barely even knew her, and yet she had just revealed something she never had told anyone before. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and tell her that she was loved, that she would find somebody to appreciate her the way she should be appreciated, but he couldn't. He worked for her mother, and any physical contact was forbidden, and his job would be terminated. "I'm sorry."_

"_Yeah, so am I." She laughed un-humorously and sighed as she heard her mother's voice again. "Go, I don't want you to get in trouble as well."_

Aaron returned to reality as a presence lingered near. He sucked in a breath and without looking up, mumbled, "What do you want, Sean?"

There was a slight pause as his younger brother sat down next to him on the swing. He shrugged and released a sigh, staying silent for a few minutes before finally opening his mouth to speak. "Mother says she was sorry. Aar, she knows she did the wrong thing. She just wants you to be happy, and you were. With Emily." He looked up at the cloudless sky, the hot summer sun shining down harshly. "Look, bro, I'm sorry for what happened, but you know she didn't mean it. You know how she gets." He shrugged, "She just was excited."

After listening to Sean for a while, Aaron finally nodded and worked his jaw, "Yes, I understand that, but how do I fix this with her? I thought I scared her away, and then I was horrible to her." He shook his head, "How is it that you always have luck with relationships… You're… you."

"Ouch. Aaron, brother, you wound me deeply. Ever think that it's because I'm not a workaholic and I actually don't shut everyone out. Aaron, you're not dad. You're better than that man. You deserve better. Just apologize and explain to her what happened. We all know you really do have feelings for her. Don't deny it."

Aaron hesitated and shook his head, "Sean, I think you're missing the point… So what if I do like Emily. I can't act on my feelings because I'm her boss. She works for me. We can and will both be fired if anything happens between us. She'll probably be transferred to the State Department, and I'll go elsewhere. I'm not going to let her lose everything just for me. I'm not worth it."

Sean rolled his eyes, "God dammit, Aaron! You are worth it. Don't you see it? I spent my whole childhood, wishing I could be just like you. You're intelligent, you have authority, respect, money, and you have an amazing kid. Jack loves you, and I'm sure Emily likes you the same as you like her. Did you not see the way she jumped right in to soothe your son when he was crying? Or what about the way she looked at you when-"

"-Alright, Sean. Enough. You've made your point."

He shook his head and glanced down at the floorboards. "No, I don't think I have, Aaron. What I'm trying to say is that, I think she really does like you. I believe that she's just afraid to admit it for whatever reason. Give her time, let her figure it out and then invite her for lunch or something. And if not lunch, maybe just a play date with Jack and Lorelai?"

Silence stretched along the porch as Aaron took it all in. He nodded once and sighed, "I can't believe I'm admitting this, but you may be right… Thanks." Aaron got off of the swing and ran back inside, leaving Sean on the swing.

He gave a small chuckle and nodded as soon as he was out of ear shot. "Always am."

_**A/N: Wow, already this has been far longer than what I had originally planned… However, I think it'll either be a two-shot, or perhaps even a multi-chapter. We shall see. **_

_**Thank you for reading and please review! It always makes me happy to know your thoughts.**_

_**-Em.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Hey, guys. So, this story is for one of my good friends, Audrey, (ankCM). She suggested the prompt, 'summer, strawberries, Iowa, Audrey Hepburn, and a baby.' Thank you, love-bug, and I hope you enjoy this, I know I did! Sorry this took so long, I just got back from Costa Rica.**_

_**Thank you to my two BETAs, Kelsey and Emily! You are both amazing and I love you dearly.**_

_**Now, what you all have been waiting for, **_

_**Chapter 3**_

Emily glanced across the room as the phone rang later that night. It had been a rough few hours spent moving furniture with Clyde. Not only had it been bad enough having to spend the time alone with him**,** but he seemed to know something was up. He had interrogated her all throughout dinner, inquiring upon her whereabouts and wondering why she hadn't picked up the phone when he had called repeatedly. Her response was "because we're not married, never were, never will be. I have a life." That got him to shut up for the rest of the meal, which was a simple plate of food that the lazy man had prepared for the three of them. _Macaroni and cheese. _

As Emily crossed the room to pick up her cell, Clyde cast a swift glance at her, rolling his eyes. "Sure, now you can pick up the damn phone. Who is it, your boyfriend?" He shook his head irritably and watched as she retreated into the bathroom, clutching the phone to her chest.

As she locked the door, she answered with a quiet "Prentiss."

Hotch smiled to himself as he listened to the soft breathing over the phone. She was always so subordinate, so sophisticated and ready to work, even when they were off duty. "Pren - Emily. It's, uh… Hotch." He worked his jaw as all coherent thoughts seemed to leave him. Why had he even called her to begin with?

As the silence stretched on, she cleared her throat awkwardly, "Um, alright? Hotch, is there-"

"Sorry, I, uh… Emily, I'm sorry for what happened today. I didn't mean to sound so-"

"Hotch, it's fine."

Hotch. So that's who had called at, he glanced at his watch, quarter to nine PM. Clyde sighed as he pressed his ear to the bathroom door, trying to hear Emily's side of the conversation. Was this work related? Or was this the man whom she was out with all day? Her words from dinner ran through his mind as there was a pause in the conversation. He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. Oh, screw what she said. He wanted his Emily back. Besides, he hated Aaron Hotchner. Ever since that case so long ago. He pulled back from the door as a tiny voice spoke up from behind him. Lorelai looked up at him with her big brown eyes, _Emily's_ eyes, and giggled softly, smiling. "Dada? What'ya doin?" She looked up at him curiously now as he picked her up and carried her to the living room.

He tapped her nose and sat her on his lap, "Honey, can you tell me who your mother was with earlier today and what you did?"

Lorelai gave him a funny look and crossed her arms, turning her head away. "Why?"

Clyde groaned softly and shook his head. She definitely had Emily's sass. "Okay, LoLo, sweetie, if you tell me, I'll take you to breakfast tomorrow, and then ice cream-"

"Clyde Easter, no you will not." Clyde glanced up as Emily walked into the room, her arms folded over her chest as she glared at the man. "Don't spoil Lorelai even more."

Clyde stood up with the child in his arms, "Oh, come on, Emmy. A growing girl needs to eat a good breakfast, you know."

Emily glared harder, shaking her head. "Don't call me Emmy. And that is not what I was talking about, Clyde." She sighed and sat down in the couch, mumbling softly as she placed a hand over her face, "I know coming down here was a mistake."

This riled the English man, causing him to stare at her. "A _mistake_? Emily, I'm not the one who walked away from us. You took Lorelai with you, I just want to see her before you decide to hide her away for another two years."

Emily growled, standing up and meeting him, chest to chest. "Hiding her away?! Clyde, I asked you when you'd come visit. I sent you plane tickets, invitations, emails to her birthdays, and you always responded with, "I'll see what I can do." Did you ever show? NO, so don't even tell me I hid her away from you."

Clyde looked down at Lorelai and covered her ears as he shook his head, "God, Emily. When did you become such a bitch?"

Narrowing her eyes, Emily took a step closer and lowered her voice to a cold whisper, "I've always been one." She shook her head and walked out of the room, right as he called out.

"Yeah, forgot about that. Sorry. Oh, by the way, how was your date with Agent Hotchner? Did you two play a game of baseball? Are you two going out tomorrow?"

Before Emily left the room completely, she turned and threw a pillow, hitting him square in the face. "Shut up, Clyde." She groaned internally, running a hand through her messy hair and pulling it out of its ponytail as she got ready to shower. As if he'd known she was actually out with him. However, she had no idea as to why she had gotten so defensive of the whole situation… She and Hotch hadn't actually done anything together… They weren't anything close to a couple, so why had she felt obligated to defend herself? She closed her eyes as she lathered her hair with her signature shampoo. A soft mix of strawberries and vanilla.

What had happened over the phone after he had apologized was that he actually asked her to bring Lorelai over so she and Jack could play together. As if to sweeten the deal and truly apologize, he told her that they'd bake cookies, and that only Sean would be around, as Carrie and Angela were taking Audrey shopping in the city tomorrow. Unable to refuse his offer, she accepted, mumbling a soft goodnight as the call came to an end.

As she finished in the shower and changed into a tank top and shorts, she walked down to the living room and glanced in, watching as Clyde tossed Lorelai up over his head. Her maternal instinct kicked in and she panicked slightly as she entered the room. "Clyde!"

To her relief, he caught her and she began giggling wildly. Emily's eyes caught his as he smirked, "Emmy, calm down. She likes it."

"Don't call me Emmy."

She glared at the man, watching as he threw her up again, causing her to laugh outrageously as he caught her in his arms. "Again, again!" She screamed and laughed as he threw her up a bit higher this time.

"Clyde, really! What if you drop her?"

"Aw, come on, Em. Don't ya trust me?"

"No."

He shrugged and held her close, "Eh, fair enough." He glanced at the girl in his arms and tapped her nose once more, "Sorry, biscuit. Mommy's being a worrywart and ruining our fun."

As if to crush her heart, Lorelai turned to her mother and bit her quivering lower lip in the most adorable way.

"Jesus Christ, Clyde." She rolled her eyes and looked down at Lorelai. "Baby…" Emily walked to her daughter and brushed her fingers through her thick, dark hair. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry, but I don't want you to get hurt. Hey, I think I know what will cheer you up…" She smiled and shrugged, Lorelai's face scrunching up with curiosity.

"Wha' mama?"

"Well, you remember Jack, right? His daddy invited us over for a play date tomorrow… After breakfast with daddy, you and I will go over there, huh?"

The youngling grinned widely, a dimple beginning to peak out and indent her cheek as she nodded. "YEAH!"

Emily laughed softly and glanced over at Clyde, hardening her gaze as he scoffed. "Not one word, Easter. This is a play date for the two of them. Besides, Hotch is my boss."

He smirked and shook his head, "Yeah, okay."

"And Clyde, no ice cream for her tomorrow. Now, I'm putting her to bed." She nodded, holding his gaze as she carried her daughter out of the room.

As Emily entered the Hotchner residence with Lorelai at her hip, she smiled slowly as Sean opened the door to let her inside. "Aaron, your girlfriend is here!" Emily bit her lip and blinked, "Um, Sean, we're not-"

"Oh, I know. It just annoys the shit out of my brother, sorry if it bothers you, though… I guess I can turn it down a bit, though." He shrugged and glanced back as his brother approached with a stern look.

"Sean, we're not-"

"Mhm. Well, you two kids have fun." He winked at Aaron and moved on to Lorelai as Jack came running, "I'll take them out to the backyard to play, if you'd like." He nudged Emily's arm discreetly as he walked out.

Emily sighed softly and watched as he left them, "So…"

Hotch cursed internally, trying to reformulate his plan in his mind. "So, would you like to help me make lunch?" He shrugged and smiled very slightly as she nodded and followed him into the kitchen. They filled the tension with casual conversation for the first few minutes as they gathered the ingredients. "Hmm, My brother finished off that pie this morning… What are you in the mood for, for dessert?

Emily eyed Hotch and shrugged, "Do you think chocolate chip cookies would be acceptable?"

He grinned widely, unable to control it as the memory from their first encounter tugged at his brain. He stifled it and nodded, "Yeah, yeah. Would you like to start on them?" She caught his eye and grinned as well, nodded swiftly.

Aaron watched as Emily hummed and maneuvered around the kitchen, almost as if she were dancing. Never had he seen a woman so graceful in the kitchen. A genuine smile pulled at the corners of his lips as he watched her carry on. He glanced at the large bowl with the unbaked dough and grinned, an idea falling into place. He waited until her back was turned. She was returning the eggs to the fridge, when she heard Aaron's footsteps behind her. Holding up the spoon in defense, she turned and whacked his hand with the utensil as he scraped his fingers against the side of the bowl. "Hotch, honestly, you're worse than the kids!"

She glared, placing her arms over her chest as he reached into the bowl again and dabbed a bit of cookie dough onto her nose. "Aaron!" She squealed softly and reciprocated, only throwing it at his head. Sticking her tongue out. The dough had hit him right in the middle of his forehead. Emily grinned wickedly at Aaron as he aimed another handful at her.

"Uh oh… I don't think I like that look."

"You won't get any cookies if you keep this up." She laughed softly and smirked, scooping up another handful when her feet suddenly left the ground. Squealing in shock and laughter, she looked down to see strong arms around her waist, holding her up against a very firm and muscular chest.

"Oh no you don't." Aaron grinned as she tried to kick her way free, but gripped her tighter against his body. "Besides, I think this is way better…" He growled softly by her ear, unable to control himself.

"Aaron!" She tried to free herself, both unaware that Sean had walked in and was now looking on in amusement. Sean smiled to himself and returned outside, letting the two brunette agents have a moment as they laughed. It wasn't often either one of them could laugh so freely, almost in a childish manner.

Aaron grabbed another handful of the dough and dabbed at her cheeks, smudging chocolate all over her face.

He released her then, letting her catch her breath as they both stopped laughing. She looked up at him and smiled. "You have cookie dough all over your face."

He chuckled and nodded, wiping a small bit from her nose and grinning wide, dimples and all. "As do you, Agent Prentiss." He winked and her heart just about melted.

She laughed softly and shook her head, "Well…" As if things had just become awkward, she shrugged and turned, finishing the balls of dough. "I'll put these in then, and then we can eat lunch." She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair, pulling out a small glob of the cookie dough,

"I'm sorry."

Shocked and confused, she looked up at him and shook her head, the corners of her mouth arching up slightly, "Don't be."

He nodded, his own smile beginning to play on his lips as well. "Alright then… I'll go get Sean and the kids-".

Before he could leave, Emily reached up and picked some of the dough from his dark hair. They exchanged smiles before he left her in the awkward sexual tension, giving her time to reflect on everything and sort out her true feelings. Surely bosses do not bake cookies with their employees, especially have it turn into… _this. _

Glancing around the kitchen, she gasped softly. Whatever _this_ was.

They had made such a huge mess. Dough covered the cabinets, the counters, and the flooring. She quickly darted around, trying to clean it as best as possible. She was on the floor, scrubbing at the tile when Aaron came in with a small laugh. "Why is it everytime I see you, you're on the ground?"

He shook his head and helped her up, brushing the pad of his thumb against her cheek to get some of the dough away, "We'll clean up after. Don't worry about it." He turned as the door closed and a throat cleared awkwardly from behind them. Sean.

"I'm not cleanin' that up." He beamed knowingly at the couple and turned away with a smirk. "What's for lunch, brother?"

"Well, because you were too lazy to cook, and I can't make extravagant meals, we're having quesadilla and enchiladas."

Emily chuckled softly and shrugged, bringing over the plate of food. "We shall see." She grinned and sat down at the table, across from Aaron and next to Sean.

"So, Aaron, Carrie and I were thinking about having our own child soon…"

Aaron glanced up from helping Jack and Lorelai cut their food and sputtered slightly. "Woah, um, so soon? It's only been, what, a month since you two got married?"

Emily glared mildly at Aaron and raised an eyebrow as Sean cringed slightly. "OW!"

"What?" He eyed Sean with wide eyes.

Emily blushed scarlet and bit her lip. "Oh…"

"Emily, she kicked me under the table... Pretty sure she was aiming for you though." He smirked at the two of them and took a sip of his glass.

Aaron held in a slight chuckle and glanced at Emily as she blushed and turned to help Lorelai. "Definitely meant for me."

She slowly looked up and smirked wickedly as she kicked again, this time the toe of her boot collided with the right man, and she smiled, satisfied. "Wait, you mean Audrey isn't…"

Sean shook his head and smiled sadly. "No. Carrie and I just got married. I had adopted Audrey as my own once we did, though. It's still recent." Emily nodded and smiled, mumbling a small 'oh'.

"So, you and Carrie are going to try for a baby of your own?" Hotch sipped his own drink and shrugged, "Uh, good luck, I guess?"

The next few minutes of the meal were silent until Jack piped up from his seat and looked at his father with wide eyes. "Daddy, where do babies come from?"

Emily tried to hide her laughter but failed miserably. She glanced across at Hotch and ran her fingers through Lorelai's hair as she ate contently. "Yeah, Hotch. Where _do _they come from?" She grinned, enjoying the shocked and panicked look on her unit chief's face.

"Emily…" He growled under his breath as Jack began to play with his father's tie around his neck. "You are not helping at all." He nudged her foot underneath the table, causing her to laugh harder. Hotch sighed and looked down at his son, placing him on his lap. "Well, buddy-"

As he was about to begin, the front door opened and Audrey walked in, followed by Angela and Carrie holding shopping bags. "So, I see you made lunch in - Holy crow, Aaron. Why is my kitchen so messy?" Emily stole a glance across at Hotch and bit her lip, trying to hold in her laughter.

"Well, you see, uh… Emily and I were-"

"Oh, so now you're blaming Emily? Honestly, Aaron. Didn't I raise you better? And, oh Emily, it's so good to see you again, dear. Really, Aaron?" She shook her head, half amused. Emily finished her meal and helped Carrie clean up the kitchen, the two of them laughing as Angela scolded Aaron in front of the children.

"So, how was shopping?"

"Long. Definitely could use a girls' night out soon." Carrie shrugged and put her hair up into a loose bun. "And how was… lunch?" She grinned, nudging Emily's arm.

"Uh, good, I guess." She shrugged, downplaying everything as she hid her smile.

Carrie was unconvinced at this and she shook her head as she laughed. "You guess? Well, it must have been fun because there's cookie dough all over the kitchen." She picked out a piece of cookie dough from Emily's hair and smiled discreetly as the brunette woman blushed.

"I, uh…"

"Emily?"

She glanced up as her name was called from the other room. Smiling instinctively, she glanced up at Carrie and nodded, apologizing silently as she left and followed the voice. "Yeah, Hotch?"

She walked into the room and he smiled very slightly as he raised his head to glance at her. "Wanna take a walk?" The walk had been Sean's idea, of course. She smiled a bit wider and nodded, falling into step with her unit chief. She felt the warmth of his hand on the small of her back as he guided her out. He glanced down at the brunette down by his side and nodded.

"So, Sean told me that Lorelai and Jack are becoming the best of friends." He shrugged and steered her away from a small hole in the dirt path. She smiled and nodded, thanking him quietly.

"Hm, I don't doubt that. All last night Lore had been wanting to see Jack again…" She sighed softly and closed her eyes as the sun beat down on the back of her neck.

"Same with Jack. Sean said that they were playing as if they had always known each other. Like us, I think they really make a great pair." He hadn't even realized what he had said until she gasped softly and bit her lip. Watching her glance down at the ground, he stopped walking and turned to look at her.

"Yeah… Like us." Emily whispered breathlessly.

Hotch cleared his throat and shrugged, placing his index finger under her chin and lifting it up so she could meet his eyes. She did and blushed sheepishly with a small smile as she hid her nerves.

"Emily." He stepped closer toward her, covering the rest of the distance between their bodies and rested his forehead against hers. He breathed her given name again, causing her to look up at him. There was nothing steady or reliable about his expression. His eyes were dark, his cheeks flushed. As she raised her face, he brought his down slowly, his mouth slanting across her own. And even as she froze in surprise, they were kissing. _Hotch._ She was kissing her unit chief. But in that moment, she didn't even care. He was Aaron in that moment.

His mouth was soft and firm; one of his hands circled the back of her neck gently, guiding her mouth to his. With his other hand he cupped her face, running his thumb gently across her cheekbone. His touches, his lips, were tentative, and she knew why. He would mind that this was the height of impropriety, that he should not be touching her like he was, kissing her, that she should be pulling away.

But she didn't want to pull away. Even as she wondered at the fact that it was Aaron she was kissing, _Aaron_ making her head swim and her ears ring, she felt her arms rise as if of their own accord, curving around his neck, drawing him closer.

He gasped against her mouth. He must have been so sure she would push him away that for a moment he went still. Her hands glided over his shoulders, urging him with gentle touches. Hesitantly, he returned her caress, and hen with greater force-kissing her again with increasing urgency, cupping her face between his burning hands, his thin gun-calloused fingers stroking her skin, making her shiver. His hands moved to the small of her back, pressing her against him; her weakening legs gave way, and they half stumbled backward against a tree by the side of the path.

Her fingers wound tightly in his shirt as he caught them, resting her chest against his as he inhaled and breathed in her scent.

She felt like she was spinning, her mind unable to process anything as she felt her heart beat out of her chest. And suddenly, all of the songs began to make sense.

She was the first to pull away from the sweet embrace, leaving them both panting for oxygen. She looked up at him with a shocked expression, but a smile quickly arched at the corners of her lips as he looked down at her, completely flushed. He released her slowly and worked his jaw, not quite knowing what to do next.

"So, um…"

"Yeah…" She released a breath and nodded awkwardly, watching him curiously. Her unit chief had just kissed her. Surely she wasn't going insane, right?

She closed her eyes once more, trying to calm her pulse rate. "So, I..."

Before she could even finish, she heard Sean's voice from the house calling to her about Lorelai. Apparently she had gotten hungry again, and he wanted to know what he could give her. Emily glanced at Hotch one last time before leading the way back indoors. If there wasn't tension before, there sure as hell was tension now. However, it was a different kind of tension, Sean observed. Somehow this was much different… They already had seemed to move in sync, but now they really were. As Emily took care of Lorelai, Aaron was right by her side whispering to her. Sean watched the dark haired duo as his brother made her laugh.

After the cookies Hotch and Emily had baked earlier were distributed, Emily yawned softly and glanced down at her watch. It was already close to dinner time. She bit into her cookie, finishing it quickly and glanced over at Hotch sadly. "We should go soon. It's already getting late, and I'd hate to intrude on another one of your meals with family." She smiled sheepishly and shrugged as he told her it was fine if she did, that his family loved her. She laughed softly and shook her head, eyeing him warmly. "Hotch, I'm sure you all will get sick of our presence eventually." Emily moved into the living room to grab Lorelai's belongings, as well as her own.

Sean approached from behind and leaned against the wall, "Leaving so soon, Em?" She turned around to face him and smiled softly as she nodded.

"Yeah, Lore and I should be off. It's getting late." She shrugged and glanced down at her daughter as Jack and her clung to each other. She sighed softly as Sean laughed when Lorelai began to put up a fuss about leaving. Leaving meant no JackJack, and no JackJack meant she had no one to play with. She didn't want to leave. Besides, she liked this Agent Hotch-man that her mother seemed so fascinated by. Why would mommy want to leave if they both like it there? It just didn't make sense.

"Lorelai, come on, honey. Please?" Lorelai just fought back harder, pushing and pulling away from Emily's grasp.

Sean placed a hand on Emily's back and nodded, "I'll get Aaron." She nodded, watching as he left for the kitchen. As Sean eyed Aaron at the counter, he smirked, "Your hot girlfriend needs some help with the kids."

"Emily is not my girlfriend." He growled, returning to his work as he silently added a 'not yet'.

"Oh, but you so wish she was.. Careful, man, she's a gorgeous woman. Any man would snatch her up sooner or later." He winked, patting Aaron's shoulder. "Just hope you don't wait too long." He shrugged and walked out of the kitchen as an exhausted Emily entered with Lorelai on her hip, a slight frown forming on Emily's beautiful features. After having wrestled with Lorelai, she was completely worn out.

She turned to watch Sean leave, and then moved closer to Aaron, Lorelai resting against her chest. "Wait too long for what?" Her dark eyes searched him, making him grow uncomfortable under her gaze.

"Uh-" Before he could think of a coherent response, she found something else to distract herself. He sighed in relief and shrugged.

"Oh, tell me you did not bring your paperwork with you?" She covered the distance between them in two strides and glanced over his shoulder, groaning softly. "Hotch!" She shook her head and rolled her eyes with a bemused expression. "You are on a vacation with family. I am not letting you do paperwork." She gently thumped the back of his head, causing him to groan in slight pain and Sean to chuckle from the edge of the room.

"Hey, I can report you for that."

A small grin began to form on her red lips as she chuckled. "Really? 'Cause, uh, last time I checked… We both were still off duty." Her eyes twinkled and he allowed himself to laugh.

"Prentiss."

She smirked, letting out a soft sigh as Lorelai stirred in her arms, trying to get down and play with Jack. "I should really get back now… I'll see you soon, Hotch." She glanced down at his papers and swiped them into the folder. She grabbed the folder and grinned. "No, I'm taking these with me. Hotch, spend some time away from the office." She nodded, tucking the folder under her arm as she balanced Lorelai. "Thank you… This was nice, you're actually a pretty great cook." She winked and walked out towards the door, pausing only when she heard her name being called from behind her.

"Emily, wait."

She froze and turned, not knowing what to expect.

"Emily.." Hotch followed her out and held out her purse for her, shrugging, "I'm thinking you might just need this… You left it on the couch." He smiled a thin smile and nodded, "Well, uh…" He stopped completely when she stood up on tip toes and pressed her lips to his cheek gently, placing a gentle kiss there. She pulled back with a soft smile and shrugged, whispering a soft 'thank you' before turning back to her car. This time when she left, Hotch watched her pull out of the property completely and watched her car disappear, before he returned to the indoors.

_**A/N: Okay, so because of my recent trip to Costa Rica, Spanish food is still in my mind, so, yeah… Sorry for the quesadillas and enchiladas. **_

_**Oh, and there is more of the story to come.**_

_**Thank you for reading and please review! It always makes me happy to know your thoughts.**_

_**-Em.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Hey, guys. So, this story is for one of my good friends, Audrey, (ankCM). She suggested the prompt, 'summer, strawberries, Iowa, Audrey Hepburn, and a baby.' Sorry this took a lot longer than expected. I just kind of lost my motivation and well, yeah… I've been RPing a lot lately and therefore sort of forgot about my fanfiction. Alas, I am back. Postings will still be slow, as school is getting difficult with the whole looking at colleges thing. **_

_**Chapter 4**_

The day had come when Emily was to leave Iowa. It had been only three days since she had last been over the Hotchner family's house and baked cookies with Hotch… in a nonsexual way, of course.

Iowa had been great and beautiful, but now it was just time to go back home, back to where she was familiar with. She craved the crisp DC air, even missed the all too familiar landmarks that lined the city. She would never admit aloud, but she was growing a little tired of the constant dry climate, the dirt paths, and even the vegetation was beginning to annoy her. Emily Prentiss wasn't one to get sick, but with all of these plants, her allergies were beginning to control her.

The morning that she was prepared to leave, she had gotten a phone call. A call from a man, whom she had grown surprisingly closer to over the past week. Aaron Hotchner. She answered without hesitating, using her first name instead of her last now. She had opened up to him subconsciously, and now she finally saw it. There was no way that they'd go back to how they were before this coincidental trip. They had become close friends, perhaps even closer than either had expected.

Emily tossed her hair over her shoulder as she finished packing all of her own and Lorelai's stuff. Aaron had invited them both over for one last lunch at his mother's house with Sean, Carrie, and Audrey. After gladly accepting, telling him she'd be over in an hour, she had quickly darted around Clyde's new home, making sure she had packed all of their belongings. She was planning on stopping at Aaron's mother's one last time before they hit the road and drove back home, just to thank them all for their southern hospitality.

Strapping Lorelai in the backseat, she waved a goodbye to Clyde, giving him a hug, despite all of his trouble and antics. "Take care, Clyde."

She nodded, giving him a small smile. The man reciprocated with a soft huff, and nodded in reply, placing a hand on her shoulder blade. "Emily…" She glanced up curiously and cautiously, slightly nervous of what he was going to say. "Emmy, I'm sorry I was a dick to you this past week, and in the past." He released a breath and shrugged, looking up at her with sincere and warm eyes. "I want you to know… that if you and Agent Hotchner get together, I support it. And I'm happy that you've found someone who can make you smile still." He gave her shoulder a small squeeze and nodded once more. "You deserve happiness, and if I can't bring it to you, then I hope he can. Take care of yourself and Lorelai."

Emily stared up at him with wide eyes. Certainly she did not expect him to say that. She blinked in surprise, a smile beginning to arch at the corners of her lips. "Thank you, Clyde. But, uh… Hotch and I, we're not…" She shook her head and cleared her throat. "We're not together, and I don't think we ever will be." She smiled sadly, "We work together, and we both like to keep things professional. It probably wouldn't even work between us." She held his eyes with her dark ones and caressed his cheek with the palm of her hand. "Thank you for saying that. And I hope you can find somebody." She glanced back at the car and saw Lorelai growing restless in her car seat.

"I should really go now. Thank you again." She surprised the man in front of her by throwing her arms around him one last time and pressing her lips to his cheek. "Goodbye, Clyde. Come visit." She whispered softly.

Although she certainly did not love Clyde, there would always be a place in her heart for him. He was more like an old friend than an ex-boyfriend, the father of her child. She smiled one last big smile and turned back around to leave.

As she drove down the dirt path for the last time, she glanced back in her rearview, catching Clyde waving back at them. She smiled slowly and began to head to Hotch's family-home, leaving the Iowan house in the dust. "So, Lorelai, you excited to see Jack?" She looked back at the girl as she swung her feet in circles.

She nodded and giggled softly, clapping her hands in excitement. "Yeah!"

Unable to control her smile, Emily laughed softly and nodded. "Alright, baby. We'll be there in a few minutes."

The next few minutes were filled with Lorelai's excited chatter about what she wanted to do with Jack once they were together again. She smiled and looked up at her mother as she watched her drive. "Mama, can 'ack and Mistah Hotch-y come oveh and play?" Emily tried to hide her laughter but couldn't. She caught Lorelai's eyes in the rearview mirror and nodded with a soft grin.

"Of course they can." She watched Lorelai for a few moments before pulling into the road leading to the long dirt path driveway. She pulled up to the house and parked beside Hotch's car, turning the engine off. "Ready?" She exhaled softly and climbed out of her car. For some reason, although she had done this so many times over the past two weeks, and had known Hotch for years, she still was nervous every time she walked up to the porch. She thought about the way his eyes seemed to twinkle each time he opened the door for her, the way his body language was always friendly and welcoming. She smiled to herself, immediately relaxing as she knocked on the large door.

From the inside, she could hear Jack's voice as he ran towards the front door. "I GOT IT, I GOT IT!" Emily stifled a laugh as the door swung open for them, revealing little Jack Hotchner at the corner. Lorelai squealed from Emily's arms and kicked, wanting to be put down to play. "Hi, Miss Em'ly! Lor'lai!" He grinned, his father coming around from behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Emily, come on in." He gave a small smile and led Emily inside while Jack and Lorelai ran off to go play in the yard.

Emily replied with a swift nod and a smile that graced her lips. "Hey." She stepped inside and followed him into the kitchen as he offered to get her a drink. "Angela, Carrie and Sean are out, but they'll be back in a few minutes." She nodded and bit her lip, catching herself as she stared at his mouth. Images of that day floated through her mind. _His soft lips, his touches, caresses, the way his body felt pushed up against hers_. She sucked in a breath and smiled slowly as she took the beer bottle from him.

"Thank you." She mumbled quietly before bringing the glass to her lips.

Hotch stared at her in awe. Her eyes were always so lovely and dark, so mesmerizing. He studied her features as he, too, sipped from his beer. "I'm glad you could make it." He shrugged and leaned against the counter, watching her with his dark golden eyes. "So, have you eaten yet?" He cast an eyebrow in her direction and smiled warmly.

"Not yet. I was planning on just stopping at a Subway or something." She shrugged, catching his gaze and returning it. "But I suppose you have other plans?" She chuckled softly as he nodded once and downed the rest of his beer. Leave it to Hotch to always have a plan.

"Mhmm, sure do." He checked his watch and nodded, "Why don't I take you both out for a bite? Then perhaps some ice cream before you head home?" He watched her face, a dimple beginning to show as Emily's smile grew wider.

"That does sound rather tempting. You drive a hard bargain, Agent Hotchner." She smirked and looked out the kitchen window, keeping an eye on the two kids. "Yeah, I'd love that." She turned back to him and nodded. "Shall we go round up the kids then?"

He followed her around to the back door and walked outside by her side. As they walked, his hand accidentally brushed against hers. She smiled slightly, hiding it from him as she turned her head, pretending she hadn't noticed. He blushed delicately and inhaled softly.

"When are you leaving?" She turned back to him with a raised eyebrow and shrugged, waiting for an answer.

"Tomorrow, I believe. That's if I can get Jack ready by then." He exhaled. "I know we've had cases down here before, but how'd you like the countryside of Iowa?"

Hesitating a moment before answering, Emily looked up at him with warm eyes and shrugged. "It's been nice. The houses are nice down here; it's just the heat I dislike." She smiled, "I grew up in a lot of major cities as well, but also quite a few country sides… It's nice." Her dimples indented her cheeks as she finally caught up to Lorelai and Jack, Hotch at her side like always.

"Come on, bud. We're going to treat the ladies to lunch." He winked as his son came running towards the two adults. Jack collided into Emily's lean legs and grinned as he looked up at her with a giggle.

"Emmy!" He pulled at the hem of her skirt, wanting to be picked up by his favorite aunt.

Emily laughed softly and bent down to pick up her boss' son. "Hey, buddy." She tapped his nose with her forefinger and watched as Lorelai approached Hotch with bright eyes. She smiled to herself as the man lifted her daughter off of the ground and placed her over his shoulders. "Feel free to put her down if she's too heavy." She glanced at Lorelai as she held onto Hotch's shirt, gripping it in her fist.

Another memory came crashing through Emily's mind.

_Her hands traced over his shoulders and down his chest as she bunched his shirt in her hands, his lips covering hers, his hand running through her dark hair, holding her head in place, while the other was around her back, circling the small of her back._

The images were enough to dampen Emily's panties and make her thighs ache. She sucked in a breath and avoided the man's playful gaze.

"Emily." Just hearing his voice forced her to look up at him. She met his playful eyes with her own and smiled. "Are you saying I can't even lift an-almost-three year old? Because I am hurt."

Laughing, she shook her head. "Not at all. She's just getting big, and I don't want her to-"

"Emily." He held her eyes for a moment, much longer than necessary.

The silence stretched on for what felt like forever. Emily finally broke it, unable to stand the tension any longer "I, uh.. Shall we go then?"

He finally nodded after another moment and led the way to his car, pulling his gaze away from hers. "We shall." He helped Lorelai into her car seat as Emily helped Jack into his own. She buckled him up and glanced up, meeting Hotch's eyes. She looked away with a slight blush and licked her bottom lip as she combed her fingers through her hair on her way to the passenger seat.

"So, where are you taking us, might I ask?" She eyed him with curious eyes, wondering just what he had in mind for the four of them. She inhaled softly as he started the car, backing out of the narrow path.

"That, Agent Prentiss, is a surprise." He took a minute to meet her eyes with a wink and a charming smile before turning his vision back to the road.

As Emily was about to reply, Lorelai cut her off from the backseat. "Ass 'im, mama!" Emily looked back at her daughter, stifling a soft chuckle before catching Hotch's glance and blushing.

"You mean, 'ask'?" She stared at her daughter as she nodded vigorously. Emily bit her lip and shrugged. "Ask him what, exactly?"

Aaron watched Lorelai roll her eyes from the back of the car. He stifled a grin and stared at Emily as she watched Lorelai. "She is definitely your daughter." He smirked as Emily turned her attention back towards him, a questioning look in her eyes. "She already knows how to roll her eyes. I've noticed that you do that same eye roll, especially when I give you an order at the BAU." He grinned, chuckling openly as she sputtered for an explanation and grew flustered over the issue.

"I, well, uh." She flushed slightly and closed her mouth, only to open it again a second later. "Well, I didn't think you ever noticed, Sir."

He turned his head to look at her with an amused expression displayed on his face. "Ah, there it is. The 'sir' that I've missed so dearly. You know I've always hated when you called me that." He stared at her as she began to smile, his own smile beginning to come out. "Yeah, I know that you do it as a tease."

Emily couldn't help but chuckle at his assumption. He had hit the bulls-eye on that one. She turned back to Lorelai with a raised eyebrow as the young two year old pouted, her lower lip jutting out as she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to get her mother's attention. "Mommy!"

Emily gave a small smile and looked Lorelai over. "Ask him what, Lore?" Lorelai shook her head and rolled her eyes again. How could mama forget already? All she wanted was to play with Jack when they got back home, was that really so hard to understand?

Lorelai looked at Jack as he sat in his booster seat, kicking his legs to and fro. "'bout playing when we get home! You said so earlier!" She said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Emily blushed scarlet and slid down in her seat slowly as Hotch turned his head in her direction. She finally mustered up the courage to look at him, biting her bottom lip. She shrugged as he held her gaze. Finally breaking the eye contact between the two of them, Hotch glanced into the rearview mirror and smiled back at Emily's daughter.

"I'm sure Jack would like that." He nodded and held Emily's eyes once more as he caught them in the mirror. "I would, too." He whispered, barely audible.

Letting in a deep breath, the corners of Emily's mouth lit up in a small grin. She instinctively leaned forward, her eyes staring straight into his as she smiled slowly. "Oh?" She tilted her head to the side and studied him, her heart rate increasing with each moment. What did any of this mean? Were they flirting again? She watched him nod once, before pulling into a smallish, yet cute restaurant. He gave a small shrug and gestured for her to look up at the building. Emily followed his line of vision and nodded, her eyes growing a bit wider as she read the name of the place. _"Sean's Corner."_ Emily read quietly, glancing at Hotch with curious eyes. She waited until they were seated inside. For a family restaurant, it was quite beautiful inside. Lorelai waited for Emily to lift her into her booster seat when Jack caught her eye as he sat next his daddy in the booth.

Lorelai stared at him in wonderment and shook her head as her mother tried to seat her in the booster seat. She kicked and struggled against Emily's arms. "Lorelai, honey-"

"NO!" The young girl shook her head and kicked again, not wanting to go in the booster seat. "No! I wanna be like 'ack!" Emily sighed softly and looked across the table at Hotch, praying he wasn't laughing at her. "I wanna sit there!" Lorelai wailed, her arms flying through the air, nearly hitting Emily in the face. The brunette nodded slowly and pursed her lips.

"Alright, alright. Calm down, baby. You can sit like Jack then. Just, please calm down." She helped her daughter into the booth across from Jack. Emily sat herself down across from Hotch and gave a small smile before muttering an apology. A minute later, a young waitress approached the table, a small box of crayons and a few sheets of paper in hand. She set them down on the table with a smile and rested her eyes on Hotch. "You have a lovely family." Emily felt her cheeks warm at the comment, but before she could manage to correct the waitress, Hotch thanked her instead, letting the comment go.

The makeshift family of four ordered their beverages, leaving the waitress to go collect them. Hotch felt eyes on his face and he slowly looked up from helping Jack in a game of tic tac toe. "What?"

Shaking her head, the brunette smirked, slightly amused. "Nothing. Just… thinking."

Hotch set his crayon down and shook his head as he shifted somewhat closer. "Thinking about what?"

_How much I like you. How you didn't correct the waitress when she called us a family, the way your lips feel against mine, the way you always make me feel safe…_

All of these thoughts came to mind as Hotch stared down at her. She died inside to confess to him but couldn't. Instead, she shrugged and attempted to change the subject. "So, your brother, Sean?" She shook her head and chuckled sheepishly as she unfolded Lorelai's napkin for her. "You told me he had a restaurant… You never said it was beautiful." She smiled a bit wider as she glanced around the interior, noting where the exits were, just in case. Her self-defense classes had taught her to always observe every room closely, making sure she knew where the nearest exits were.

Hotch shrugged, a small smile pulling at his lips as he watched her turn her head this way and that, admiring her the same way she seemed to be admiring the restaurant. Without speaking, he set his hand over hers in a gentle manner. She snapped back to reality as she immediately felt his body heat radiate off of him. He quickly pulled his hand back, wishing he could get a better grip of himself. This was Emily. This couldn't work out like that. They were friends only. He mentally kicked himself for getting too close. "Not much to say, really." He paused and took in a soft breath. The waitress returned with warm eyes directed at the two children. She smiled and placed the beverages in front of each person. She grinned down at Jack and Lorelai before placing their drinks down as well.

"And I'm guessing you two are the ones who wanted the chocolate milk?" She watched with a tiny giggle as Jack nodded vigorously. She glanced back up at Emily and Hotch before asking if they had decided on their orders yet.

As soon as the young blonde left the four alone once more, Hotch continued as if they hadn't been interrupted. "I didn't know either, to be honest… I haven't returned back home until this week." He shrugged and gave her a wider smile. "It is a nice restaurant though. I'm glad he seems to be doing well with it."

Emily smiled and stared up at him with dark eyes. "Aw, you're a proud big brother." She smirked slyly and watched as Lorelai tried to reach her drink. The young child was too short of the table and couldn't reach it completely. She whimpered softly and reached again, nearly knocking Emily's glass over. Emily stifled a sigh and pulled Lorelai onto her lap. She ran her fingers through her daughter's hair and pressed her lips to the top of her head before bringing the cup in reach of the small child.

Hotch chose to ignore Emily's comment, and instead he watched as Lorelai sat on Emily's lap, bouncing slightly as she drank a sip of milk, the chocolaty drink dribbling down her chin. He smiled warmly and grinned slowly as Emily raised her eyes up to meet his. Her lips matched his smile and she shrugged as Hotch stared at her in amazement. He reached across the table hesitantly, and brushed a strand of hair away from her face, his eyes never leaving hers all the while. "You are so beautiful." He inhaled softly and brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, admiring her as her cheeks flushed. He pulled back quickly and stared down at her, blushing a light shade of pink. Had he really just said that? He looked away from her face, afraid of what he'd see in her eyes. Would she be angry? Embarrassed? Mortified that he had touched her in such a loving gesture? To his very great surprise, Emily began to smile once he looked down at her. Her cheeks were still slightly flushed from embarrassment of being called beautiful, but she didn't seem to mind the gesture. He hadn't anticipated this reaction from her, really.

She bowed her head slightly and mumbled her thanks as he watched her carefully with a soothing gaze. He placed his hand over hers again, and nodded gracefully at her. "I mean it." He took in a soft breath and lowered his voice. "It's, uh… actually hard to believe that you're single..." He gave her a nervous smile and shrugged slowly as Emily began to chuckle softly.

"Oh?" She cocked her head to the side as her free hand, the one that wasn't being held by Hotch's, still rubbed circles around Lorelai's back. Lorelai leaned her head against her mother, her eyes closing shortly. Emily smiled and stifled her giggle. "Uh oh… I think somebody's getting a little sleepy..." She pressed her lips against her daughter's forehead and grinned, thinking about how nice she had it now. She gave the young child a slight shake and looked down at her lovingly. "Honey, Lore, It's not nap time yet. You have to eat, my love, and then you can sleep in the car.

Hotch nodded, watching with a glint of amusement in his eyes. He gave a small shrug as soon as Rory, the waitress from before, placed the platters of food onto the table with a smile and the promise that she'd check back on them later. They ate in silence for the first few minutes, Emily only speaking when she caught Hotch's beautiful eyes watching her. "This is really great." She smiled warmly, "Even though it is completely unnecessary to treat us to lunch, thank you."

He matched her smile and bowed his head temporarily. "No need to thank me. It's your last day in Iowa; it's the least I could do."

_**Thank you for reading and please review! It always makes me happy to know your thoughts.**_

_**-Em.**_


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